1. Field of the Invention
A connector assembly for a planar vertical printed circuit board includes a housing having a pair of parallel space planar vertical side walls defining an open-topped vertical chamber in which the printed circuit board is mounted. First electrical connectors mounted on the vertical end edges of the printed circuit board include body portions that extend outwardly beyond the vertical edges of the side walls, which extending body portions contain access openings affording communication with first connector contacts in electrical engagement with the printed circuit board. Protective side cover members are fastened to the housing side walls to partially enclose the extending connector body portions, which cover members contain openings opposite the connector body access openings.
2. Description of Related Art
This invention relates to an electronic housing that permits the mounting of a plurality of printed circuit boards in series on a mounting rail. Such electronic housings are known as such but require further design improvement, in particular, regarding assembly and adaptability to differing connection techniques and unit sizes.
The present invention was developed to solve this problem by mounting a plurality of connectors vertically on the vertical end edges of the printed circuit board arranged in a housing chamber, which connectors are of the multi-contact type. To protect the portions of the connectors that protrude beyond the vertical edges of the side walls, protective side cover members are fastened to the housing side walls to partially enclose and to protect the protruding portions of the connectors.
In this way it is possible to adapt the electronic housing in a simple manner to different connection techniques. In each particular case, it is not necessary to design the complete housing anew; it is merely necessary to create differing side parts. It is furthermore possible in a simple manner, by varying the protective side cover members, to arrange two or more mutually parallel printed circuit boards in the housing, or to insert them with preassembled side parts simply as a unit into a housing chamber. Furthermore, for example, by changing the side cover parts or by the use of different side covers, one can provide electronic housings with more or less intensive ventilation function or cooling function.
Preferably, on the at least one cover member or on the printed circuit board, there are arranged multi-contact plugs, and the side cover parts can be fastened upon the plugs. In this way, one can clearly simplify assembly, because the multi-contact plugs and the side cover parts are preassembled on the printed circuit board and this sensitive component is well protected during assembly in the housing chamber. In this way, at least one printed circuit board, together with the multi-contact plugs and the side covers, form a preassembled unit which can be inserted into the housing chamber.
In a preferred manner, the multi-contact plugs are made as pin contact strips or as socket boards. Other models are conceivable, for example, as RJ45-plug or socket.